Transmedia storytelling will be a major trend for content marketers this year as brands look to tie a growing number of connected platforms and media formats together to engage with consumers in a “noisy” digital landscape.
Transmedia narrative or multiplatform storytelling is not a new concept as it has been around in some form for years now. But the idea of stitching together a unique experience using different tools and formats is ideally suited to the needs of brands in 2018, who are aiming to deliver authentic and personal messages to end users.
Author of the book Digital Branding, Daniel Rowles, believes that the creativity and attention to detail which is central to transmedia storytelling will help marketers to get a better grasp of a customer’s journey and how to manage it effectively in order to drive them to purchase a product or service.
“Transmedia storytelling goes back to the very beginning of marketing,” Rowles says. “In fact, it goes back to the very beginning of language and communication. If you are told a fact, it is likely that you will forget it fairly quickly. However, if you are told a story that communicates a fact, you’ll most likely remember it; it brings it to life, gives it context and makes it engaging.”
Mixing media rich infographics and written word editorial across social, blogs and websites can draw audiences into a unique narrative and then reward them through added value, which can encourage positive behaviours. Brands who use AI and analytics will also get better at delivering content at the right time to audiences.
